Eleven PDX Magazine January 2015 by Eleven PDX

contents

ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE ISSUE NO. 8

THE USUAL 3 Letter from the Editor 3 Staff Credits

VOLUME 4

FEATURES Local Feature 11 Ezza Rose

Cover Feature 15 The Decemberists

new music 4 Aural Fix Zola Jesus Beacon Prom Queen Marriages

FILM Watch Me Now 22 Film Editorial: Director Mike Nichols

7 Short List 7 Album Reviews The Dodos Disappears Sleater-Kinney

COMMUNITY Literary Arts 23 Portland writer Lizzy Acker

Neighborhood of the Month 25 NE Sandy Blvd.

LIVE MUSIC 9 Musicalendar An encompassing overview of concerts in PDX for the upcoming month. But that’s not all–the Musicalendar is complete with a venue map to help get you around town.

Visual Arts 26 Portland artist Curtis Owen

more online at elevenpdx.com

HELLO PORTLAND! It's 2015! We made it. We all deserve a prize. Oh, what is that you say? We are getting lots of prizes? Like what?! Oh I see; a multitude of artists are creating heaps of thought-provoking culture and entertainment this new year. Examples? In the music world, there are a large number of full length albums coming out this month [p.7] or if you want to get more in depth, you can hear from local favorite Ezza Rose [p.11] about her status. Then there's this other Portland band called The Decemberists [p.15] who are releasing their first studio album since 2011. Excited yet? There's also all of the film [p.22,] literary [p.23,] and visual arts [p.26] to peruse, and I'm not only talking about this issue, or this month of January. See what I mean? We're just getting started! If you know of other awesome art and culture being created now or in the near future (or if you take issue with what's in this... issu..magazine), send us a hoot at getinvolved@elevenpdx.com we'd be stoked to hear from you! Happy New Year, Âť

- Ryan Dornfeld, Editor in Chief

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EXECUTIVE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Dornfeld CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Mills SECTION EDITORS LOCAL FEATURE: Wendy Worzalla LITERARY ARTS: Scott McHale VISUAL ARTS: Mercy McNab FILM: Rachael Haigh, Bex Silver graphic DESIGN Dustin Mills Alex Combs COPY EDITING Megan Freshley Paul Maziar COVER PHOTO Autumn De Wilde CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brandy Crowe, Billy Dye, Eric Evans, Veronica Greene, Rachael Haigh, Casey Hardmeyer, Kelly Kovl, Travis Leipzig, Ethan Martin, Scott McHale, Aaron Mills, Jacob Schraer, Matthew Sweeney, Charles Trowbridge photographers Mercy McNab, Aa Mills, Todd Walberg, Caitlin M. Webb DISTRIBUTION / PROMO The Redcoats

online Mark Dilson, Donovan Farley, Kim Lawson, Michael Reiersgaard

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SPECIAL THANKS Our local business partners who make this project possible. Our friends, families, associates, lovers, creators and haters. And of course, our city!

AURAL FIX

new music aural fix Photo by Jeff Elstone

UP AND COMING MUSIC FROM THE NATIONAL SCENE

ZOLA JESUS JANUARY 9 | MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

If I dated girls, I would totally try to hook up with Zola Jesus. We have a ton in common and she’s hot. My first introduction to this powerful voice was on the Orbital (my favorite duo) track “New France,” a song off their Wonky album. I listen to that song at least once a week, so when I was assigned her album for review, I was ecstatic to find out more. Born Nika Roza Danilova, Zola was raised in Wisconsin (I’m a nice midwestern girl too), studied French and Philosophy as an undergrad (same), studied opera/classical singing, and applied to Julliard at age ten (uh, I can’t read music, but the buck doesn’t stop here). If she had gotten into that school, I would hope that we would still have the five albums (by age 25!) from her that we do now. The latest, fifth album Taiga, means boreal forest in Russian. Fitting, as she is Russian and it perfectly encapsulates her tenacity. Seeking solace in the Pacific Northwest (likewise for me), Vashon Island became her muse. It was here that Zola gave herself permission to remove any self-made or suggested boundaries, and the result is mammoth.

Did I already mention her amazingly powerful, rich and velvety voice? Think Lady Gaga, but much, much, much better. And the album is perfect to listen to now, throughout these rainy, winter days. Taiga takes her past work and wrings it out like wet laundry. When Taiga was done it seemed brand new: a pop album of sorts, one in which all songs were written acappella first, before co-producer Dean Hurley finalized instrumentals behind them. The stand-out track is “Lawless,” and it expresses this big idea of trying something new and owning it: “Sever the ties before they weigh you down/You either run or you take it.” I’ll go ahead and generalize her sound as electro art pop, but with a classically trained voice and gothic rock, experimental, post punk influences. She is anything but general, in fact, the opposite. My girl crush continues... » - Kelly Kovl

In a world where most electronic

Photo by Chad Kamenshine

music can sound easy to make, Beacon has a rare talent of showcasing just how difficult it can be. There is a fine balance between a robust, complicated sound and a convoluted mess, and Gosset struts this thin line like it’s a double-wide sidewalk. The polished machinery of the severe synth versus Mullarney’s dark lyrical romance make for a fierce combination. Their latest, five song album, L1, is a revelation. It is not your run of the mill hype mix, but it will get you going pre or post party. Mullarney’s ghostly wavering will lull you almost asleep, while Gossett’s producing will blast you awake. It’s like a prescription drug with side effects that

BEACON

include drowsiness and insomnia. The album has a total theme of optimistic JANUARY 22 | HOLOCENE

With an eclectic mix of R&B and electronic dance music, the Brooklyn duo of Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett really put the chocolate in the peanut butter. The melding of these two minds combine to form one of those great, “who woulda thunk it?” moments in history.

darkness. It gives one the feel that even though things may be terrible, they may not be as bad as they seem. Beacon is a band that is worthy of giving the old college try. I would say that they might surprise you, but if you read this write-up, they really shouldn’t. » - Aaron Mills

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 4

new music aural fix rock band.” Frontwoman Leeni Ramadan melds Cocteau Twins styled dream-pop with Nancy Sinatra-esque crooning and orchestral cocktail, creating a wholly original sound that stands up impressively against the likes of Lana Del Rey and Beach House. Ramadan is backed by guitarists Jason Goessl and Ben Von Wildenhaus, and drummer Tom Meyers. This past October, Prom Queen released their third full length album entitled Midnight Veil. Easily the group’s best work to date, the album finds them increasingly confident in their unique formula. Highlights include “Daddy’s Got a Big Bad Gun,” which sounds like a Connery-era Bond theme; the song is an astonishingly authentic piece of lusty ‘60s exotica, with crisp surf guitars, and ethereal strings performed by Ramadan herself. Prom Queen also delve into Mazzy Star

meets the Shangri-las guitar pop, on the album’s other stand-

PROM QUEEN

out track “Out Of My Mind,” with cosmic synths bubbling away, JANUARY 23 | DOUG FIR

and a wonderful Lesley Gore-ish vocal from Ramadan. Prom Queen’s fearlessness in tackling what has been deemed the “campier” parts of ‘60s lounge is what separates them from

Seattle-based Prom Queen have been one of the Northwest’s best new groups, since their 2012 album Night Sound’s warm reception eventually earned them a chance to

the pack of countless imitators, and this is the bands greatest strength. Check out Prom Queen on Bandcamp, and look for their

open for legendary ‘80s goth band Echo and the Bunnymen in

upcoming performance at the Doug Fir on January 23. The

Seattle this past August. The group has fittingly self-described

future looks bright for this Seattle band, and 2015 should

their sound on their Bandcamp profile as a “cinematic ‘60s

prove to be a big year for Prom Queen. » - Casey Hardmeyer

5 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

new music aural fix

JANUARY AT

MARRIAGES JANUARY 30 | BUNK BAR

Marriages, the Los Angelesbased rock trio, plays like a long fuse. The music is a slow burn, building to the ultimate pop-off that is expected but somehow always surprising. Kitsune, the group’s first EP from 2012, exemplifies these traits in its structure, style and sound, and one can only wonder how the next full-length will build on it. Emma Ruth Rundle (of the Red Sparowes) brings a claustrophobic vocal intensity that proves a formidable counterpart to her equally moody and grinding guitar lines. The bass of Greg Burns (also of the Red Sparowes) churns and pulsates, creating a palette of gritty exuberance and decay. At their meatiest, Marriages sounds like a roiling conglomeration of post-rock soundscape and psychedelic synth rock, with elements of experimental sympathies mixed around for good measure. “Ride In My Place,” the opening track from Kitsune, ebbs and flows with droning, fuzzy guitar wails and pounding drum work, all while Rundle’s vocals coax and coil. As a single track, it is selfsufficient; it doesn’t need and introduction or postscript, but, as a piece of the larger album, it successfully encapsulates the wide variety of shades and tones the group is capable of producing. At the opposite

end of the spectrum — and as the album's final track — “Part of the Dark” exposes the group's nuance, with softer instrumentation in the beginning and a whispery vocal line. It eventually builds to a cacophonic peak, but the entire piece is tempered with restraint. Marriages is an interesting group, offering multiple perspectives, and as the group continues to explore and build its repertoire, the music’s growth will continually reflect this studied complexity. » - Charles Trowbridge

QUICK TRACKS A “ten tiny fingers” A compellingly built track that starts with a simple, bell-like synth line and guitar counterpoint. It’s a nighttinged piece of psychedelic rock with a heaviness that tugs like a sinking anchor.

B “ride in my place” As a piece of the larger whole, this track rides like a locomotive that demonstrates the power and pull of a shadowy soundscape. Heavy guitars and a high-hat laden percussion line provide a gripping experience.

2 JERRY JOSEPH AND THE JACKMORMONS FERNANDO

3 JERRY JOSEPH AND THE JACKMORMONS MEXICAN GUNFIGHT

6 WAXAHATCHEE THE GHOST EASE US LIGHTS

8 MIDGE URE 9 DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS

18 CHANGING THE TUNE BENEFIT CONCERT FEATURING JILT 20 MY BROTHERS+I DEAN COMMON, DEAR

21 ALICE PEACOCK 22 MATES OF STATE FICTIONIST

23 LA LUZ

PROM QUEEN IS/IS

24 BROOKE FRASER VASELINES 10 SCHOOL OF ROCK 25 THE LOCH LOMOND PRESENTS YACHT ROCK! 27 WILLIE WATSON MIKAELA DAVIS 10 THE BUILDERS & THE BUTCHERS 30 BASS DRUM NICK JAINA OF DEATH THE SUPER SATURATED SUGAR STRINGS 31 BOWIEVISION (DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE) 11 LIL RIPP THIS IS NOT MY LEEZY SOPRANO BEAUTIFUL BAND D.WORTHY LEFT COAST COUNTRY

(TALKING HEADS TRIBUTE)

MYKE BOGAN ILL CHRIS

16 MAGIC SWORD COPY CUFF LYNX

17 CHUCK PROPHET & THE MISSION EXPRESS

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new music album reviews

ALBUM REVIEWS

its perhaps overly-safe polish. It is, however, always rewarding to look into what bands like The Dodos, Department of Eagles, and their many worthy contemporaries have to offer. Like New Weird America, sans the dissonance, and with reinedin ambient experiments in favor of pleasant melodies, The Dodos straddle the line between pop, folk,

This Month’s best

and psychedelia, and manage to create

R Reissue

music that’s engaging and organic. Nevertheless, the new Dodos

L Local release

Short List Panda Bear Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper Catfish And The Bottlemen The Balcony Dan Mangan + Blacksmith Club Meds Belle & Sebastian Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance Fall Out Boy American Beauty / American Psycho

The Dodos Individ Polyvinyl Records Gentle fingerpicking, and soft, murmuring vocal harmonies; the muffled rumbling of drums, and carefully-controlled waves of feedback washing over it all: this is the sound of The Dodos (and Grizzly Bear, but let’s not focus too much on that). Is it easy to get cynical about so-called “indie rock:” its sameness,

Mikky Ekko Time Siskiyou Nervous The Waterboys Modern Blues Pond Man It Feels Like Space Again Young Ejecta The Planet Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth Amen Dunes Cowboy Worship

Buy it

Steal it

Toss it

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Disappears Irreal Kranky

Irreal, the latest LP from Chicagobased Disappears, begins somewhere in a hole at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and rises slowly from the dark silt. The soundscape they carve out is claustrophobic and pressurized, like the curving metal insides of a submarine, but the dim illumination their presence casts only brings the abyss surrounding them into foreboding relief. This is music with

album Individ does not stand out much within their discography. Individ is comparatively very well-crafted among the pop releases from the past few months, but on the whole it gives off the impression of a once-sprightly, more folk-sounding group who’ve thrown in the towel to channel their inner Real Estate (not that Days isn’t pretty good), to create something very mild. There are some moments of beauty on this record though, most notably the lush textures of “Darkness.” » - Matthew Sweeney no destination, but which propels its listeners implacably on, through a void where musical reference points leer out of the murk and are dissolved again. The album’s only consistency is its rhythmic vessel, churning and beeping amidst sporadic human shouts and questions which boom out over the machine’s megaphone. Although the album can be difficult at first, because of its lack of resolution, the tension and dissonance which are its backbone eventually begin to feel like a new norm, once repeated enough. Noah Leger’s intense drumming breathes a very personal feel into otherwise inhuman instrumentation, with his bass drum sounding like the sinking bombardment of depth charges exploding around you. Disappears has made a reputation out of minimalist parameters, emphasizing form rather than content, and Irreal is a successful continuation of that effort. » - Ethan Martin

new music album reviews

Sleater-Kinney No Cities To Love Sub Pop

“We sound possessed on these songs,” says Carrie Brownstein about Sleater-Kinney’s eighth album, No Cities to Love. “Willing it all–the entire weight of the band and what it means to us–back into existence.” After the nearly ten year hiatus since their last release–over which period generated a

pretty damn excellent album by their side band Wild Flag, as well as a couple solo albums and a hit tv show–the champions of the riot grrrl movement are back. But they still don’t seem to understand the gooch-tingling-glory that adding the low end of bass into the mix brings about! Jokes aside, the all-female power trio that is Sleater-Kinney absolutely shreds. Earning herself a much disserved spot on Rolling Stone’s list of 25 most underrated guitarists back in 2006, Carrie Brownstein’s frenetic and riff-heavy guitar playing can still silence even the most ripping of rippers. And, coupled with the explosive timekeeping of Janet Weiss’s drumming,

a cheesy Billboard type way, the sound still remains entirely gritty and raw. “Hey Darling” is a perfect example with Blondie-reminiscent new wave punk verses surrounded by power-pop choruses that draw early No Doubt to mind. Darker, heavier burners “Surface Envy” and “No Anthems” have an air of post-hardcore with dueling progy guitar noodlage feverishly spattered about. It’s clear that prolonged break and a glimpse into celebrity life (at least for Carrie) have not dulled the daggers on these powerful female rockers; rather it gave them a chance to look at the bigger picture and do things even better. Rounding out the end of a three month tour in support of No Cities to

which can compete with the greats like Bohnam and Grohl, these grrrls are some of the heaviest hitters in an all too male-dominated rock and roll industry. Compared to the group’s previous seven albums, No Cities to Love pays more robust attention to the melodies and hooks between their bouts of dark and heavy experimentation, but not in

Love, Sleater-Kinney will play at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland on May 5. And whenever Portlandia finally goes belly-up (like it should have four seasons ago), maybe Sleater-Kinney can hire Fred Armisen to play bass and help turn his dirty unemployed clown frown right upside down. But for real though, welcome back S-K. » - Travis Leipzig

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live music JANUARY crystal ballroom

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Waxahatchee | The Ghost Ease | Us Lights Midge Ure Dead Winter Carpenters | Left Coast Country The Builders & The Butchers | Nick Jaina Lil Ripp | Leezy Soprano } D.Worthy | Myke Bogan Magic Sword | Copy } Cuff Lynx Chuck Prophet & Mission Express | Parson Redheads Changing The Tune Benefit Concert featuring Jilt My Brothers + I | Dean | Common Dear Alice Peacock Mates of State | Fictionist La Luz | Prom Queen | Is/Is Brook Fraser The Vaselines | Loch Lomond Willie Watson | Mikaela Davis Bass Drum of Death Bowievision | This Is Not My Beautiful Band

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WILLIAMS AVE.

VANCOUVER AVE.

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Wale | Audio Push Pierce The Veil | Sleeping With Sirens | Mallory Knox Kip Moore Too Many Zooz

MISSISSIPPI AVE.

Roseland Theater

INTERSTATE

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1332 w burnside

Dead Moon | Long Knife | The Drawingboard Crystal Ballroom's 101st Birthday Party Big Head Todd & The Monsters Patty Smith G. Love & Special Sauce | Matt Costa The Radical Revolution

wonder ballroom 128 ne russell

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live music

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bossanova ballroom

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Gaytheist | Divers

kelly’s olympian

LAURELHURST

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rontoms

600 e burnside

Knocking Point Wine Burndown Stumptown

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features JANUARY the know (continued) 15 16 17 18 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31

knock back 13 the 2315 ne alberta THE SECRET SOCIETY 14 116 NE RUSSELL 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 22 23 24 30

white eagle 15 836 n russell 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30

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LOCAL FEATURE

zza Rose left her musical family in a small mining town, to pursue the arts in big city Los Angeles. Ezza was on her own and overwhelmed by stage fright, but instead of giving up, she used her challenges as training. She made herself perform her melodic heartfelt songs for strangers to gain confidence and inspiration. Ezza would eventually find middle ground in Portland, a smaller city with a buzzing artistic community to foster her musical vision. She soon grew into a full fivepiece, which has been playing a folky, rootsy sound for the last several years. The group's last two recordings Poolside, and the soon-to-be-released When The Water’s Hot, are moving in new directions to launch the band’s growth and distinction.

ELEVEN: Tell me about Ezza Rose. Ezza Rose: I’m from a small town in California, Julian. It’s an old high desert mining town found during the gold rush and famous for apple pie. My grandfather is a town historian. It was recently hit by the fires so it’s kind of depleting, which is really sad to see. 11: That seems to come across in your music through a little Americana, and a little folk. What brought you into music? ER: Well, my dad plays upright bass and guitar, and sticks. He’s always influenced my family. He was in local bands in town; there were only like two, so my introduction to music was being the five-year-old sitting on top of the speakers at the bar with a tambourine. Literally my first gig. It’s kind of fun because the bass that my dad played [was] sold to my bassist Lance, so now he plays “Big Al” for my band.

features Photo by Mercy McNab

11: How did you come to make When The Water’s Hot differently?

JANUARY alhambra theatre

4118 se hawthorne ER: What really brought me to this new Cambrian Explosion | Wingnut Commander | Fen Wik Ren sound was [when] Lance inspired me to buy Garcia Birthday Band | Lewi Longmire a new guitar. He hated my guitar because it Affiance | Kindom of Giants | Raines to Ruin | Leaving Home Ethan Tucker wouldn’t stay in tune and said I had to get RAF Mod Band | Original Middle Age | Ska Enjoy Club a new one. Nappy Roots Lance Leonnig: Well it was an accident Sage Francis | Dalton because we stopped by the store. hawthorne theatre ER: A planned accident. You had been 1507 se 39th waiting to run over my guitar forever. So I Declare War| When The Broken Burn | Eternal Covenant we found this old guitar, and it happened The Jimmies | Fireballs of Freeedom | The Lucky 13s to be Nathan JR’s guitar, of M. Ward, and Gern Blanston | Atomic 61 | Dirclodfight | Heavy Johnson Trio Raise the Bridges | Alliance | The Pavelows | Harken he was working there that day and was like Jar of Flies | Outshined | 13 | $intax “oh, you picked this one, huh?”

10 17 18 23 24 26 31

11: What kind of guitar is it? ER: Its a Gibson Les Paul, with TV Jones pickups. It’s black and chrome. Its named Black Betty, after my grandmother Betty. 11: Some time went by after you released Jacob in 2011, and last year you released Poolside, which was also something totally different for you.

11: What else have you been a part of here in Portland? ER: I have played with Sean Flinn— that was my first introduction to singing on stage, with like, a rock band. I had so much fun doing it that I wanted to launch into doing it myself. I’ve also played with St. Even; I’ve sung backups for Sallie Ford, a lot of backups, like twelve records last year. There have been a lot of collaborations in general. 11: There is an assortment of instruments on many of your previous albums, such as mandolin, accordion, and especially banjo on Through The Music Box. ER: We have gone so far; Through The Music Box was such a long time ago. I wrote those songs when I was seventeen and eighteen. For a long time, we took it off the market because it was so personal. But we put it back on the market, not only for business reasons but to show that the progression is pretty cool.

LL: We have been doing field recordings for years, and I was working an electrical job at an old local hotel. I went in to wire up a big huge bar, and went downstairs. There was a huge abandoned swimming pool. One day I dropped something, and the sound was amazing. The reverb is crazy. It’s quiet. There was no one around, so I kept thinking this was the perfect place to record. So Ezza comes over to my house one day thinking we are just going to rehearse there, but I was like “we are going for a walk.” We go down all of these staircases, through this maze of construction materials, and the big huge pool is there. So I said: “Sing!” We had a hard time getting her out of there. ER: All of the sounds on that album are natural. 11: How did you record? ER: I was sitting on the edge of the deep-end, with the sauna behind me, and that’s where we set up the sound booth. We pulled an all-nighter due to the Max and noise ordinances. 11: And now, with When The Water’s Hot, your sound is still very organic, but right away you hear the electric guitar. ER: I think I want to pull those two things together. I still want it to be super rootsy, but I feel like I want it to have the edge that I have personally, that

VALENTINES

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David Lindley 4 The Jayhawks | Trapper Schoepp 7 Floydian Slips 9-10 Shoot to Thrill | Steelhorse 17 Portland Soundcheck III 24 Kishi Bashi String Quartet | Elizabeth & The Catapult 28 Particle 29 Bill Frisell - Guitar in the Space Age 30 Winterfolk XXVII: featuring Bryan Bowers 31

21 the goodfoot 2845 se stark 22 east end

203 se grand

Motown On Sundays (Sundays) Sonic Forum Open Mic (Mondays) The Family Funktion(Tuesdays) Shafty (Wednesdays) Soul Stew w/DJ Aquaman (Fridays) Get On Up w/Takimba & DJ Saucy Rippin Chicken | Dove Driver DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid Asher Fulero Band Yak Attack | The Villain s| Galaxe Sophistafunk | Tubaluba Turkuaz

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features JANUARY star theater

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street saloon 25 ash 225 sw ash 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 30 31

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LOUNGE 27 TONIC 3100 NE SANDY 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 22

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most people have personally really, and pull that together. I think some of the most beautiful things in life are when you take something that is really fucked up, and something that is really gorgeous, and just put them into the same basket. This electric sound is angst, anger, frustration... or the beauty of being powerful, mixed with innocence and softness and sweetness. We still have upright bass and cello, and we will probably have a violin at the show. This is the first record not having violin. But we have washed out most of the ukulele, and our banjo/accordion player has gone all electric. He’s on electric guitar. 11: It also sounds like there are some keys and spacey noises coming into play. ER: Yeah! There are some spacey noises, we will be integrating that more and more into our live shows. 11: What are some of the underlying stories and themes of your songs? ER: For a long time it was romantic stuff, a lot of heartache. But recently I write more about the social dynamics of people in the world, and my reflection of going from a small town to a big city to a smaller city. Comparing the ways in which people go about living their lives and connecting to people. And it’s of course the most fascinating thing that we are all doing, it’s definitely what has been driving my focus. It’s mostly public relations, but every once in a while I may still throw a love song in there. 11: Tell me about the song “Tele.” What is the special instrument on that track? ER: We were recording the song, and in the room next door was full of like, a bunch of toys. While our guitarist was next door recording his tracks I found Kid Keys, a kid piano, and was like plinking away. I was like-this is perfect—I’m putting this in the song right now. Our keyboardist says he has found the toy piano sound. 11: It seems to talk about mind control and is very alternative. ER: It’s a relevant subject in a lot of arts right now. Like where do we stand with all of this technology vs. our humanity.

11: What is “Sailboat Land” about? ER: It’s about remembering your youth. That idea of youth. As people grow older they are trying to find themselves. But what does that idea even mean—that you have to find yourself? I think more people will find out that it’s a lot like being youthful without any judgement. It’s a special youthful place in your mind that you can come back to. 11: What are some of your influences, musical or otherwise? ER: I think my original influences come from living in a small town and hearing my dad’s projects. I went from living in a town with 2000 people to L.A. When I got to Portland, I dug under the fingernails of the city. It has slowly creeped into who I am today. I think the people who influence me most are the musicians around me. I don’t actually listen to popular music that often. 11: What have you been listening to? ER: Recently I’m listening to Amy Winehouse, Nick Jaina who is on the bill. I listen to Lance playing guitar and singing a lot. Sallie Ford, Shoeshine Blue, Run On Sentence, and whoever may be immediately around me. I think that probably stems from coming from a small town and wanting to build a community inside a city. 11: And you moved to L.A. for art school? ER: I studied technical dance, and then they wanted to put me into the singing program. I was put into a “Triple-Threat” program where I was studying dance, acting, singing. I had very little vocal training, but some of my classmates were amazing singers–like headed right to Broadway after school. I would get in front of the class and forget my lyrics. I would just shake. 11: So you struggled with stage fright? ER: It was horrible. After about a month I decided I could either quit, or figure out a way to do this. That’s when I picked up a guitar, wrote a song, and went to open mic. I was really young because I graduated high school early and went to college early. So I couldn’t go to bars, but I could go to some open mic nights. I made myself play in front of people almost every night of the week in Los Angeles. It was

much easier to remember my own lyrics. It was really therapeutic for me and I started writing more. people kind of liked it. I never really planned to pursue music. I came to Portland and started playing here on a whim. LL: Didn’t you and your friend hitchhike here? ER: That was just to visit during a break from school, before moving here. It was an adventure. I couldn’t afford to fly or drive. We left the night of Christmas. My poor, poor mother. She was like “It’s your life. If you live through it you’re going to be a great person, if not… oh just do what you need to do.” We said we wouldn't ride in any semi-trucks. We rode in semis the whole way. I just wanted to move here to paint. I kept playing open mics. I got to meet a whole community of people I didn't expect. I was like—"Hold on, maybe I can fly with this." 11: And now your band is actively touring. ER: We have done the U.S., the West Coast a few times. We have made really

good friends with Alaska. We are going out of the country for the first time to tour New Zealand for five weeks. 11: Wow, and you aren’t signed with a label? Do you prefer being DIY? ER: I’m not sure. we haven’t been offered a ton of things yet. I like doing it myself, and now we have a manager. I still have to work a day job as a bartender. So that is ten hours, four days a week that I am not able to devote to my music. So I am working on being a full time musician. We have a lot of plans for 2015. I want to spend some time in New York, Austin, Nashville. »

FIRKIN TAVERN 1937 SE 11TH

John Rankin | Commonly Courteous Too Long Sparks Rocket 3 Atlas&theAstronaut|WalkingStalkingRobots|StiffOtherLip

the waypost

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HOLLYWOOD THEATRE

Ezza Rose celebrates the release of When The Water's Hot January 17 at Mississippi Studios

A not-for-profit organization whose mission is to entertain, inspire, educate and connect the community through the art of film while preserving an historic Portland landmark. NE HOLLYWOOD 4122 NE Sandy Blvd (97212) 503.493.1128 | hollywoodtheatre.org

Laurelthirst pub 2958 ne glisan

has a certain underlying silence that only empowers each instrument’s note or vocal echo. Recorded in the studio space of Secret Society, the sound of When The Water's Hot is polished and contained, with a launch of electronic instruments and production. Acoustic instruments like the ukulele and accordion have been diminished and replaced with keys, whirling effects, and electric guitar pings. Lance Leonnig still plays upright bass, and Jessie Dettwiler (Alameda) adds intrigue with cello,

When The Water's Hot Self-released

particularly in the exotic splendor of

Within the first few moments of

push on. Her voice is consistently

the track “Amelie.” Ezza’s singer/songwriting talents

opening track “Tele,” listeners familiar

smooth and clear, ethereal, and from the

with the acoustic Americana and poetry

gut. It rises, glides, and falls, not unlike

of Ezza Rose will notice something

her cover-art for the album, depicting

notably different: the sound of an

the daffodils that her small mining

electric Gibson Les Paul. “Tele” is a fun

hometown is known for, and the charts

tale of mind-control and addiction

mapping ocean paths (an homage to her

to technology, set to a more upbeat

love of sailing). While the band’s sound

alternative sound since the band’s

expands with more rock, blues, and

albums Poolside and Jacob. Ezza dives

experimental elements, The Ezza Rose

into writing about observing the human

Band still retains its strong organic

condition, while still throwing in the

roots that have been deepening in

occasional love song, as in the track

Portland for the last several years. »

entitled “Kissing and Shouting.”

JANUARY dantes (continued)

2120 n williams

Much of The Ezza Rose Band’s work

L Ezza Rose

features

- Brandy Crowe

Tree Frogs | Baby Gramps Jamie Leopold & The Short Stories Freak Mountain Ramblers Copper & Coal | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw Zach Bryson & The Meat Rack | Joy Pearson Old Flames | Crow & The Canyon Joe McMurrian & Woodbrain | Garcia Birtday Band Jacob Miller & Bridge City Crooners | The Libertine Belles Freak Mountain Ramblers Portland Country Underground | King Pao Chickens Jackstraw The Student Loan | Dust & Thirst Super Saturated Sugar Strings | Michael Howard Michael Hurly & The Croakers | Lynn Conover & Gravel Alice Stuart | Jimmy Boyer Band Freak Muntain Ramblers Copper & Coal | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw | Folkslinger Lowlight | Stars of Cascadia | Matthew Lindley Band Tin Silver | The Tipsy Ramblers Reverb Brothers Alexa Wiley & The Wilderness | Troy Stewart & Tim Sproul Freak Mountain Ramblers Portland Country Underground | King Pao Chickens Jackstraw The Student Loan | Del Phonica Lewi & The Left Coast Roasters | Nick Jaina Beach Fire | The Includers Lynn Conover & Little Sue | Kalida

analog cafe & Theater 720 se hawthorne

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Young Bay | Polysemy | Pacific Patterns Salsanova School of Rock Presents: Mastadon | Coctail Fiasco Demure Salsanova Horse Bodies Jet ForceGemini The Ghost Parade | The Body Rampant Cellar Door DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid

2 7 9 17 21 23 24 28 30 31

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 14

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www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 16

Photo by Autumn De Wilde

features national scene

t’s been four years since our ears have been graced with a new Decemberists album, but that doesn’t mean they have been sleeping ‘til noon in the land where America’s youth goes to retire. The band’s members are as multifaceted as their discography. Where Picaresque lends itself to historical folklore, Colin Meloy has created a children’s fantasy novel. Where The Hazards of Love explores operatic rock, Chris Funk and Jenny Conlee dabble as members of a Pogues tribute band. Perhaps you saw their performance on the season six finale of Parks and Recreation as well? This is a band that does what it wants without consideration of industry expectations. Oh, and they’re also damned talented musicians with each of them playing a handful of instruments. Their newest release, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, is less structured than past albums. The theme doesn’t offer itself immediately and the captain isn’t suffering from scurvy. It is more self-reflective, a bit older and direct. Meloy has said that the album title is inspired from the last line of a song, “12/17/12,” that he wrote after hearing President Obama speak following the Newton

school shootings in 2012, “I was hit by a sense of helplessness, but also the message of ‘Hold your family close.’ This bewildering, conflicted feeling came out in a phrase near the end of the song – “what a terrible world, what a beautiful world”—that gave the album its title.” I had the pleasure of chatting with multiinstrumentalist Chris Funk about the upcoming release, life in Portland and the pros and cons of the modern music industry. Beyond The Decemberists, Funk is a well-known producer that has worked with several other prominent Portland bands and he is a member of the quasi-Decemberists bluegrass side project Black Prairie, which also features Jenny Conlee.

ELEVEN: This is The Decemberists first album in four years. Besides the album, what else have you all been working on? Chris Funk: Colin, our singer, wrote a series of books called Wildwood. Myself and other Decemberists are in a band called Black Prairie. We put out two records, an EP and toured. I also produced a few records for some people. John Moen, our drummer, is in a band called Eyelids and I think he put out a solo record in that time. Danny, our keyboard player, plays with a million people. So yeah, we’ve been busy.

"We sort of just go at our own pace and as a result we turn inward, make albums, and go on the road." 11: What were those albums that you produced? CF: The last Red Fang record, Sallie Ford’s new record, Casey Neill’s solo record and Rhett Miller from the Old 97’s – he’s got a solo record coming out that I just finished. 11: This is the Decemberists seventh studio album with many of the previous albums receiving critical acclaim. Do you feel added pressure to continue that legacy of success or is it still just fun for you? Or both?

17 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

features national scene CF: No, we don’t really talk about that stuff. I think that we do it for fun but it is also our careers, which is a different thing than just doing it for fun. I don’t want to say those things don’t matter, they matter to your career, but they don’t really matter to us as artists or musicians. I don’t mean to sound daft or anything or that we aren’t stoked when we get these sort of accolades along the way that mean a lot to people. We’ve never felt pressure to make an album. We signed with Capitol after Kill Rock Stars and even then we didn’t feel pressure. I think they knew the band that they were getting. We took money from them to make a record, but we didn’t sign over our heads. Therefore we’re still on the label and they like us and we like them. We’ve had success, but we’re not the kind of band that has had Mumford and Sons kind of success. We sort of just go at our own pace and as a result we turn inward, make albums, and go on the road. Just get the album in the stores and on the radio a little bit and we’ll be good to go.

MISSIS SIPPI STUDIOS S

CF: Audiences have gotten bigger, but that’s hard to say if that had anything to do with Capitol or if that was our trajectory. When a major label signs you after three records, you’ve got something brewing anyway. The record we made after our first record on Capitol was Hazards of Love, which is not what I’d call pop. It was kind of a rock opera and it didn’t sell that well. So, what has changed? Not much. I think that there’s this misconception that when you sign to a big label you are suddenly pressured to do things that you don’t want to do or that you “owe them money,” which is just not true. 11: The band lists Leonard Cohen’s 1977 collaboration with Phil Spector, Death of a Ladies’ Man, as an inspiration for this album. What are other musical and non-musical influences for this album?

J A N U A R Y 2 2. FRI

18. SUN

MBRASCATU

REDWOOD SON AND THE REVELRY LAURA IVANCIE

BIG HAUNT

3. SAT (TWO SHOWS)

19. MON

CAMERON ESPOSITO RHEA BUTCHER

7. WED

ALEXANDER CARDINALE TONY SMILEY

OLD WAVE / LUZ ELENA MENDOZA

JENNA ZINE PRESENTS: COMEDIANS & COMEDIES WITH ANIMAL HOUSE SEAN JORDAN

20. TUE

WILLA

8. THU

CHAIN & THE GANG

HOODED HAGS / SAVILA

COCO COLUMBIA

21. WED

ROBIN BACIOR GREEN HILLS ALONE

ZOLA JESUS

DERADOORIAN GOLDEN DONNA

22. THU

10. SAT (EARLY SHOW)

JACKSON JACKSON & THE CITIZENS SUNGOLD

ILL LUCID ONSET

LATE NIGHT ACTION WITH ALEX FALCONE

23. FRI

(LATE SHOW)

SUMMER CANNIBALS

DJ BEYONDA / ILL CAMINO

24. SAT

11. SUN

JUST LIONS / US LIGHTS

MRS. PRESENTS QUEEN THE FOURTH WALL

SMALL SKIES / NEIGHBOR WAVE

THANKS 25. SUN

12. MON

LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL

BROTHERS KEEPER

26. MON

AN EVENING WITH

13. TUE

SEAN WATKINS (OF NICKEL CREEK) LAUREN SHERA

TRIGGER HIPPY FEAT. JOAN OSBORNE 28. WED

JUKEBOX THE GHOST

14. WED

TWIN FORKS / SECRET SOMEONES

NELS CLINE & JULIAN LAGE

29. THU

15. THU

KORY QUINN CROW AND THE CANYON

AN EVENING WITH

BEN MILLER BAND / SNEAKIN’ OUT CROW MOSES

LEFT COAST COUNTRY 30. FRI

STRATEGY

SOFT METALS / GOODWIN

17. SAT

EZZA ROSE

CF: On this record I think there’s very much the British folk side of The Decemberists. There’s also the Americana side of The Decemberists–like the last record. I think there are songs that, as always, are inspired by 80s college rock like The Smiths, Morrissey, The Pogues… I don’t want to say that it’s a greatest hits record for The Decemberists, but it sort of has all of those influences on this record, which has become very Decemberist over the years.

C A L E N D A R

9. FRI

11: What changed for you when you signed to Capitol?

31. SAT

NICK JAINA WATER TOWER

LORD DYING

SONS OF HUNS / GRAVES AT SEA

SHOWS you’ll remember, presented in an independently run, best-sounding music listening environment with great staff (mostly musicians), drinks, burgers, and PATIO.

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www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 18

features national scene 11: The past Decemberists albums have been very thematic with historical themes, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World is more free form. How is this album different for you than past albums? CF: It’s kind of the first album that I went in as a musician in the band not having discussed with Colin before what the sort of theme of the record is, which is strange to be in a band where you kind of have a theme. I think from the writer’s perspective, I think Colin was like, “I’m going to try to evoke Leonard Cohen here,” which I think you can hear in a couple songs. What you say you’re going to do on an album a year and half ago ends up being a different thing. That’s the main thing. We had this rock opera storyline [The Hazards Of Love] happening that was shrouded in British folk with these sort of Black Sabbath guitar riffs and then the last record was made out at Pendarvis Farm where they have Pickathon and we were like, “Let’s go to this quasi-farm and make an album that we think resembles Neil Young’s Harvest and get the of queen of modern Americana Gillian Welch to sing on it.” That’s the main thing, going in and not having rehearsed anything. Just turning the tape machine on, rolling tape and playing, which was really refreshing. As exciting as it is, also to be in a band that does have strong concepts and ideas for albums and not just documenting your songs. I happen to love that The Crane Wife and even Picaresque have such strong narrative themes. They make it really easy for instrumentalists to look at what your instruments are and what you can play on that. It was oddly refreshing just to be a band and go in and play.

"The music industry has always been what it is. There’s always been issue with it and it’s always been kind of a Wild West of commerce and art." 11: In your opinion what are some positive and negative aspects of today’s music industry? CF: I think the negative aspect, for me, is having to watch people complain about it on Facebook all the time [laughs]. It just gets tiring. The music industry has always been what it is. There’s always been issue with it and it’s always been kind of a Wild West of

19 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

features national scene commerce and art. There’s always people making a lot of money at it somewhere and other people that are not making money at their success. I just get tired of hearing how great Taylor Swift’s idea was to take things off Spotify and I get tired of people complaining about how Spotify is ruining everything when in reality there is nothing that you can do about it. You know? You just have to take it for what it is and technology moves at a lightning pace and our children in four years will flip it on its ass one more time. Whether you like it or not, whether you think vinyl is good or not, whether you think record stores should exist or not, there’s nothing you can do about it. If you want to participate in it and you want to be happy you have to sort of just have to figure out how to be happy instead of grumbling about it all the time. I feel fortunate to still make a living doing it and I feel lucky. I’m one of the lucky ones that squeaked in. We have a lot of success. I also feel that it’s not luck. We worked really hard. I think there are a lot of people in the music industry as musicians that don’t want to work hard. They don’t want to get into the van and invest and take the time to make it happen. People can kind of look at what you have and think

that you didn’t earn it and that you just signed to a label and it came to you. I think music will always exist, I think records will always exist and I think studios whether gigantic fancy ones or they’re in someone’s basement will always exist. I don’t care how it’s recorded. I’m more interested in the art form. Obviously I’m concerned and want to make a living as an artist, and hopefully I can, but those things are also out of your control sometimes too. It’s the wild west of music…

"My main thing that I hope for the city is that younger people can continue to move here that want to take advantage of this quality of life that we believe we have here"

THURSDAY 1.1: NEW YEARS DAY HANGOVER BRUNCH: EYE CANDY VJ'S - 12PM/FREE FRIDAY 1.2: CEMETERIES|ARRANGE|THE SWEATER I GAVE YOU - 9PM/$5 SATURDAY 1.3: THE NEW RENAISSANCE: ANT B|ELIN SKEI|J BURNS|STEWART VILLAIN|KONCEPT - 9PM/$10 WEDNESDAY 1.7: HIDEOUS RACKET WITH DJ FLIGHT RISK - 9PM/FREE THURSDAY 1.8: KPSU + WE OUT THERE MAGAZINE PRESENT: EPP|D3|CRAY - 9PM/$5 FRIDAY 1.9: AMANDA RICHARDS AND THE GOOD LONG WHILES|TOM RHODES| HARPER - 9PM/$5 SATURDAY 1.10: TOWERING TREES|DEMENTED CAROUSEL|LABRYSE - 9PM/$5 SUNDAY 1.11: EYEZ FRONT PRESENTS: MUFASSA|CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION|LIGHTENING RULES - 9PM/$5 FRIDAY 1.16: LEVON'S HELMET|ROD - 9PM/$5 SUNDAY 1.18: BABY KETTEN KARAOKE - 9PM/FREE FRIDAY 1.23 & SATURDAY 1.24: TRAMPS: AN ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE STAGE - 8PM/$10 FRIDAY 1.30: HOPELESS JACK & THE HANDSOME DEVIL| URBAN PIONEERS - 9PM/$7 SATURDAY 1.31: GOLDEN GARDENS|WIND BURIAL - 9PM/$5 SUNDAYS: THE EARLY EARLY COMEDY OPEN MIC - 4PM FREE WEEKLY FREE COMEDY OPEN MIC. SIGN UP AT 330.

MONDAYS: BUNKER SESSIONS OPEN MIC - 8PM/FREE

OPEN MIC HOSTED BY LEE AULSON AND TALON BRONSON. SIGNUP AT 730. SHOW 8.

MONDAYS: EYE CANDY VJS - 9PM/FREE

MUSIC VIDEO REQUESTS FOR THE SOUL. SELECT FROM A STOUT CATALOG!

TUESDAYS: LATE TUNES WITH KPSU DJʼS - 9PM/FREE SONGS CURATED JUST FOR YOU

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 20

features national scene 11: You’ve lived in Portland for some time now. What are some of the changes you’ve noticed living in Portland? CF: Obviously all those ugly buildings on Division and Mississippi Street, which is probably a good thing. There are a lot of people that grumble, “Oh my God Magic Gardens is closing.” Having toured a lot, you go to other cities in the Midwest and you look at what they have and, no offense, do you want to be like Detroit or Cleveland? People are struggling to keep any of their businesses open. My main thing that I hope for the city is that younger people can continue to move here that want to take advantage of this quality of life that we believe we have here. That existed when I moved here. I think that’s the biggest change. Maybe the city is growing too fast and we’re not taking care of their renters. 11: Besides The Decemberists and Black Prairie, what are some Portland bands that you’re into? CF: I think Luz Elena Mendoza is always doing something cool. Maybe I have a bad opinion because I’ve been a part of making some of her records. I

21 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

think she’s talent and you can kind of follow her around and just breathe her air and hear something great. There’s a great band called The Domestics. Michael Finn works with Tucker Matin who makes our records and I’ve gotten to know their music. After a while, you start to see your friends' bands. You go on tour and you come home, so I do tend to see the same music. I’m more interested in going and hearing bands at like PALS Clubhouse. Seeing the bands that OPB isn’t writing about. It’s important that that [PALS] is here. That’s what Portland was when I moved here. My friends are like, “It’s gone!” It’s actually not gone, they’re just forty. »

What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is scheduled for release January 20 Catch The Decemberists live in Portland March 21 at The Keller Auditorium

film

WATCH ME NOW

FILM AND TELEVISION

THE FUNDAMENTALLY INCONSOLABLE: REMEMBERING MIKE NICHOLS

ike Nichols was a master of self-satire; he was a man of wealth and education; and one of connections, whose best targets were those who had wealth, education, and connections. Born Michael Igor Pechowski in the waning days of Weimar Berlin, Nichols was a man generous of both spirit and wit. His career encompasses an entire era of stage and screen, beginning with his early days in improv comedy where he met creative and comedy partner Elaine May. Nichols and May would go on to be wildly successful, doing shows in nightclubs and television, eventually landing on Broadway with An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May. After May and Nichols called their duo quits in 1962, he launched his storied stage, film and television métier. Nichols worked with a steady stream of luminaries, and directed some of the greatest performers of the mid twentieth century, such as Julie Christie, Lillian Gish, George C. Scott, and Richard Dreyfuss on Broadway. Nichols had a healthy Off Broadway career as well, directing Steve Martin and Robin Williams as Vladimir and Estragon in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and he directed Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Christopher Walken, John Goodman, and Kevin Kline in Chekhov’s The Seagull.

He ushered young actors like Jack Nicholson, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, and Candice Bergen into stardom, and veteran actors like Anne Bancroft and Gene Hackman all clamored to work with him. When Nichols directed Burton and Taylor in Virginia Woolf, they were the biggest stars in the world. All in all, Nichols coaxed remarkable performances out of his actors, leading approximately sixteen of them to Oscar nominations or wins. Nichols’ propensity to garner nuanced performances lent him the reputation of being a director who creates films purely as vehicles for his actors, many of said films are relinquished of any trace of his particular artistic signature. Unlike other celebrity filmmakers—two contemporaries include Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese—Nichols was never known as an auteur. He did not create an overtly recognizable visual style or a distinct aesthetic imprint; his thematic interests were disparate. To that end, however, romantic narratives were his main vehicle, particularly narratives regarding the institution of marriage. Nichols was a svengali of domestic tension, deftly setting up astringent connubial dramas. One particular talent was Nichols’ examination of marriage: from the nascent, as in Barefoot in the Park; to the suddenly crumbling, as in his adaptation of Heartburn (1986), Nora Ephron’s novel about a wife deceived by her husband; to the decayed and intolerably brittle, as in Virginia Woolf. Nichols scrutinized courtship rituals in films like Carnal Knowledge, which follows the sexual education of two men (Art Garfunkel and Jack Nicholson), and Closer, adapted from Patrick Marber’s play about power dynamics and seduction in the internet age; in adaptations of plays like The Real Thing, Tom Stoppard’s disinterring of the meaning of love. He found equally flush material in homosexual relationships, as epitomized in The Birdcage, whose script was adapted with long time comedy partner Elaine May. Perhaps the film that carved out Nichols’ legend is his 1967 film The Graduate. Nichols’ second foray into directing after Virginia Woolf, the titular character became a bellwether for how the baby boomer generation dealt with at the uncertainty of the changing, post-war world of their parents. Never once did it venture into social commentary of the time like civil rights, or Vietnam. It was a meditation on confusion and scorn, gifting Nichols his lone directing Oscar. Nichols’ background in improvisational, satirical comedy informed many of his films, which often started out as comedies and ended up as acerbic ruminations on American relationships. Directing material by playwrights, screenwriters, and novelists, his dialogue and staging seem edgy but aren’t rough; they’re refined but not callous. His films have the common denominator of being commercially accessible while retaining their intelligence and attention to detail. » - Rachael Haigh

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 22

community literary arts

LITERARY ARTS

Photo by Mercy McNab

Portland writer Lizzy Acker

earlessly unapologetic, Lizzy Acker sits across

and physically: “It’s very interesting to try and write about it,

from me for a couple of cocktails at Church, and

because it’s all about race and it’s also about my experience

recounts a series of events that have shaped her

with race being a sixteen and seventeen-year-old white

life. First, her honest and very public comments

girl from Corvallis, Oregon. People say Portland is white.

about racism in our fair city when she was twenty-three:

When you’re sixteen and move to a place with no context

“Acknowledging that racism exists does not equal being

or anything, you’re so adaptable... I mean, I became a white

racist. People here get especially sensitive about it.” She

person, which is totally strange, because before I went there I

still stands by her comments and refuses to be ashamed of

would have never identified myself as white. If someone said

herself, under any circumstances. “When you start calling

to me, ‘Tell me three things about yourself’ I would say, ‘I’m a

everyone a racist, you shut down the conversation, and what

girl; I’m from Oregon; I like soccer.’ When I was there, I was

we need in this country is fucking conversation,” she asserts.

defined by my race, which is obviously the experience that a

Lizzy spent time in Africa, where she was on the

lot of black people have in this country.” She didn’t have the

outside looking in—a time about which she read last month

Internet to vent-out her fears and frustrations, so she began

at Mortified, a sold-out event where people told stories

writing.

about their uncomfortable childhood experiences. Lizzy

Acker’s writing has remained consistently personal and

shared her journals from when she was a teenager living in

bold, as well as hilarious. In her first book Monster Party,

Johannesburg, feeling completely out of place emotionally

she reveals human folly through describing the many painful

23 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

community literary arts relationships of her main character (also named Lizzy). A

her blog The Tusk, and is the social media rep for Powell’s

borderline-inappropriate relationship with a teacher who

Books. “Before you can get people to hear what you’re saying,

would drive her around and get beers with her, who would

you have to get them to listen to you.” Last year, she wrote

sour after offering to pay her to clean his house. Writing

a powerful piece about abortion for The Rumpus which

about the people in your life that you care about can prove

received more attention than most blogs get in an entire

to be extremely difficult. “That story was about me, and how

year. Again unafraid to address tough issues, Lizzy welcomed

fucking dumb I was at that time, not understanding adult

the criticism it came with: “When you talk about abortion

relationships or adults, being so self absorbed. So I wrote

because you had consensual sex with a person that you liked,

him this long note telling him that this was fictionalized, and

and they were actually engaged to somebody else. You can’t

does not reflect about how I feel about [him]. I never heard

really say “I’m the victim here.” Many women would quickly

from him again, and that makes me very sad.”

sweep that under their bed; Lizzy shared it with the world.

In the title story, “Monster Party,” a promising trip to

This boldness has also come into play in her professional

Central Oregon, to share a birthday with her best guy friend,

life, and it’s part of the reason why she has moved back to

turns out to be profoundly disappointing after she reveals to

Portland from San Francisco. She was given the opportunity

him that he’s been cheated on. Again, writing about people

of starting up a pop-culture blog for the PBS station there,

she cares for is especially tough when the subject matter is so

and was constantly stifled by stodgy bosses who wanted to

hard to face: “It’s really hard to navigate being a human being

‘capture the millennials’, without even slightly offending any

sometimes” says Lizzy. This is particularly challenging for a

of their backers. The dream job turned into a constant battle,

writer when it comes to taboo subjects like infidelity, where

which she fought nobly, but lost. We welcome Lizzy back to

your morality may be heavily judged by other people.

Portland with open arms; we need more purveyors of truth in

It’s stories like these which make Lizzy so good at what

this town. » - Scott McHale

she does, placing the reader into such situations both physically and emotionally. She learned this skill from professor Bob Gluck while studying creative writing at San Francisco State: “I think that what changed in my writing in grad school is that I really want to create the circumstances, and then not tell people what to feel, but put them in the situation and let them feel however they’re going to feel.” Sometimes, the circumstances are so traumatic and cringe-worthy that you have to feel like she knowingly put herself through it, but for what reason? Lizzy immediately

LOCAL LITERARY EVENTS SALON SKID ROW PRESENTS: ROB SCHLEGEL 1 JANUARY 6 | THE CORNER BAR Rob Schlegel has lived in Montana, Iowa, and Washington. With Daniel Poppick, he edits The Catenary Press. His second book, January Machine, won the 2014 Grub Street National Book Prize and was published by Four Way Books.

recognizes why: “You cannot create art in a vacuum, and that’s what the problem is with the art world, and so much poetry and stuff. Don’t write poetry about making poetry. Don’t make art about making art. Have experiences and make art about what it means to be a human being, because

À READING #13 2 JANUARY 25 | VALENTINES Catch what has become one of the premier local poetry

that’s the whole point of it.” Almost like having a second set

events at the bohemian surroundings of Valentines. Poet

of eyes on her own experience, the whole thing can be pretty

Robert Duncan Gray presents an outstanding lineup this

terrifying, but it’s human connection, flawed or not, which

month - Jeff Allessandrelli, Dasha Shleyeva, John Beer, and

adds meaning to the chaos.

Nick Jaina, who has received nationwide accolades for his

Half-Life is Lizzy’s new zine released by Gorilla Press where she poses the question: “Is it possible to love more

musical compositions, and has just released his debut book Get It While You Can, a work of non-fiction.

than one person? (And not in the San Francisco poly-amorous way). Is it possible to completely forget about someone like the relationship never existed, or do you just manage it internally?” Lizzy was inspired to name her book after the Junot Diaz quote, “The half-life of love is forever,” which

PATTON OSWALT: SILVER SCREEN FIEND 3 JANUARY 29 | POWELLS BOOKS (BURNSIDE) Back in the late 1995 Patton Oswald has just moved to LA

she holds as an ultimate truth: “How do I contain feelings

and was had trying to make it as a comedian and performer.

for one person and feelings for another person that are

He would attend the New Beverly Cinema at multiple times

similar and completely different at the same time?” she

a week to take in as much early film as possible. It became

wonders, and then admits how utterly destructive it can be.

enough of obsession for him to write a book about how it

Although she earned her MFA, she does not seek to write

changed his life. This seems like a unique event, and perfect

only for people who have MFAs. She writes regularly for

opportunity to catch the comedic star in the flesh!

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 24

7. Pony Express Antiques 8. Brickhouse Pizzeria 9. Missing Link 10. Annies Donuts 11. Corner Pocket NE BarSandy Boulevard

community

3. SINGLE SILVER SCREEN

Roseway Theater - 7229 NE Sandy Blvd

Location photos by Mercy McNab

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NE 72N D NE 72N ST DS T

71S TS T T

73R DS

NE 70 TH

72N D

68T HS T NE

ST NE 67T H

66T HS

2. KITTY CONDOS

Mittens Motel - 6025 NE Sandy Blvd

BES T O F NE SANDY

1. CRAFT BEER CHINESE COMBO

BTU - 5846 NE Sandy Blvd

ITA TS

DA S

65T HS

AM E

4TH

61S TS T AL

ICK

NE 6

NE5SANDY BLVD

0TH

NE 6

9TH

NE 5

HS T 58T NE

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69T HS

NT ON

63R D

KIY OU

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SIS

62N D

NE NE

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE MONTH

4. FAMOUS PRIME RIB

Clydes - 5474 NE Sandy Blvd

5. HAWAIIAN FAMILY CAFE Ohana - 6320 NE Sandy Blvd

6. SPORTSBALL AND PUB GAMES D's Bar - 6732 NE Sandy Blvd

7. OLD TIMEY THINGS

Pony Express Antiques - 6712 NE Sandy Blvd

8. NEIGHBORHOOD PIE, GUY

Brickhouse Pizzeria - 6744 NE Sandy Blvd

9. GO BUY BIKE

The Missing Link - 7215 NE Sandy

10. PHENOMINAL FRITTERS

Annie's Donut Shop - 3449 NE 72nd Ave

11. POOL BAR DIVE Korner Pocket - 7300 NE Sandy Blvd

community visual arts Photo by Mercy McNab

way possible. I'm eager to see what the future holds for this up and coming mixed media illustrator. ELEVEN: What is your medium? Curtis Owen: It's ever changing. For the last ten years it has been ink mainly because of the control that ink allows. A lot of my artwork is very exacting and there's a lot of perfection there. Only recently I have turned toward using paint. I never went to paint before because it's pretty messy and there's a clean up. It gets all over the place and there's a lack of control because you never really know what's going to go down in color theory. Color theory is a very difficult thing to wrap your brain around. It's difficult to figure out. I've been really enjoying paint so far though. I like it when things match and I use a lot of tritone color palette. If there are too many colors happening I feel like it might take away from the theme of the piece. Kind of like Picasso with his blue period. I already get overly concerned with design and if I start shoving too many colors into there also things could go wrong. I also really like doing linoleum cuts. It's a neat medium because you can make a very 3-D looking image from just three blocks. 11: How did you make the switch from ink to paint? CO: Just through experimentation.

VISUAL ARTS

The art I do is actually just constant experimentation. I never know what the finished product will be until it's finished. The art piece changes a good bit a number of times before it's finished.

Portland artist Curtis Owen

11: Where do you think creativity comes from? omewhere in Beaverton there is a llama farm. On this llama farm there is a family of artists.

CO: A muse? The muse is a huge influence. There is also

One of these family members is Curtis Owen.

a natural draw to create art for a lot of humans also. It's

A fine printmaker, illustrator, and painter.

something that humans are really adept at doing. There's

He has a promising artistic future. An air of

something so soul gratifying about art. It is harder than

humbleness makes Mr. Owen seem quite mysterious. It

the construction work that I do. It's a struggle to do the

seems that the truly gifted and the most successful people

art because you're constantly managing expectations of

always have a quiet way of dismissing praise in the kindest

your own creativity. It is very gratifying and I am happy if

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 26

community visual arts

"Fanno Creek" (ink, 2013)

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community visual arts I can satisfy my own expectations. An excuse to exhaust my creative faculty, really. Art has always been heavily encouraged in my family. My brother is an architect and the other half of my family are scientists. My mom's also an artist. 11: What are your biggest inspirations and when do you feel most inspired? CO: It comes and goes as it wants. Let's say you like to go camping. You go for a few weeks and then you miss society and you go back to town. Yeah you're happy to be back in town and then you're sddenly itching to be back in nature again. I think the same thing can happen with art. I will work on something for a few weeks and then suddenly I can't stand to put paint down any more. Then again if I'm away and the accessibility to do art isn't there then I really start to miss it. Often, when I'm out traveling the world this happens. I mean, it's constant stimulation to travel through third world countries but you don't have access to a sanctuary or other place where you are able to express yourself. 11: Where have you traveled? CO: Last summer I was in Turkey and Greece. The year before that I was in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and India. Before that I was in Nicaragua and Costa Rica and then I popped backand forth between California and here a bunch. 11: Which country do you feel closest to? CO: India hands down. If you want to go somewhere where you feel completely out of your element and have total culture shock then India is the place to go. At the same time its the friendliest and most dangerous place to go. 3000 years of history and it's completely okay to stare at people. Whole families will just stare. After a while its actually very comforting. The country has like 200 languages, it's extremly diverse. You can go to one city and it's like packs of dogs, monkeys and cows inside the city. I was staying in one house above the pyres where the ancient traditon of burning bodies happens. Every time I would get back to my place it was like hey okay so burning bodies, alright. 11: So who are your favorite artists? CO: I really love the style of art nouveau. Edward Munch and the guy who did "The Kiss" um, Klimt. The German biologist Ernst Haeckel.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 28

community visual arts 11: Who are the people in your paintings? CO: I've always been drawn to music influences because music influences me. Portraiture is my main thing. I really like the human face. The human face is the most recognizable form in the universe. There is so much expression held in the face. The faces in my pieces are suspended by the rest of the art. My real creative design goes into the artwork around it. Sometimes I feel like I should move more toward artwork that is completely design oriented with no particular subject matter or person. It would probably get very complicated very quickly. A quote I like is "Art is making mistakes, good art is knowing which ones to keep" (Scott Adams). I find that to be very true. There's a lot of chaos while I'm trying to make something and I kind of think of myself as a filter. I often look at other pieces of art and filter it through... me. 11: do you have a theme that you carry through your work? CO: The yin without the yang. There's an entanglement "John Lennon" (lithograph, 2008)

with the more blurred side of the self with expression of the muse... that was really deep... Âť - Veronica Greene Please enjoy Curtis's painting "Lotus" (ink, watercolor, graphite and acrylic, 2013) decorating our inside back cover this month. Find more from Curtis at www.curtiswowen.com

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